Computing On Demand - Olympus D-380

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Product Name: Olympus D-380

Date: Monday, November 18, 2002

Author: Jeffery Sexton a.k.a.: Jsgolfman

Provided By: Olympus

Page: 1 of 2

The Budget Point ~n~ Shoot King?
First, I would like to thank Omni Profit and Olympus USA for providing the D-380 for review. Without the generous help of manufacturers, far fewer reviews would make their way to the internet.

Olympus has long been a player in the film and digital camera market. Amateur and expert alike will be familiar with their Stylus series of film cameras; and why not? They are the most popular point and shoot series ever introduced. The aficionados in the crowd also know that Olympus is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to digital photography. Their "E" Series are top of the line models with the E-20N taking top honors as the best new SLR camera from Professional Photographer magazine at the recent PhotoPlus Trade Show in NYC. With a price tag of over $1400 though, it may not be the perfect fit for your needs. If your travels take you down Main St. more often than Wall St., then the D-380 may be what you're looking for.

Specifications and Overview
No review would be complete without the ubiquitous manufacturer provided feature list. And this is no exception. When you glimpse the details below, keep in mind that this camera retails for under $200, often it can be found for under $180

Features

2 million pixel (effective) CCD
QuickTime® movie mode can record up to 60 seconds of motion video (in 160 x 120 SQ mode w/8MB SmartMedia card)
USB Auto-Connect means almost any computer with a USB port will recognize the D-380 and connect automatically…with no additional software to install
5x digital zoom enables cropping of images on the spot
Sequence mode captures the action at 1.3 frames per second (8 frames max in HQ mode)
2MB of internal memory (can store up to 5 VGA quality images)
Macro mode gets you as close as 10"
Image-editing tools include black-and-white, sepia, and "file resize mode"
Digital ESP multi-pattern and spot metering
Automatic white balance, plus 4 manual settings
Built-in flash (Auto, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Night Scene, Red-Eye Reduction Night Scene, Forced Off)
12-second self-timer

Technical Specifications

CCD Imager :	2.0 megapixel (effective) 2.1 megapixel (gross) 1/3.2" (.31") CCD
Lens :	Olympus glass 4.5mm (35mm equivalent in 35mm photography) 5 elements in 5 groups
Seamless Digital Zoom :	SHQ, HQ, SQ1: 2.5x SQ2: 5x
Aperture Range :	Programmed auto: f4, f8
Shutter Speeds :	1/2 sec. - 1/2000 sec. (1 sec. in Night Scene mode)
ISO :	Auto (100 - 400 equivalent)
Recording Mode(s) :	Still image: EXIF JPEG, DCF (Design rule for Camera File system) Motion picture: QuickTime motion JPEG
Adjustable Resolutions :	1600 x 1208 JPEG 1600 x 1200 JPEG 1024 x 768 JPEG 640 x 480 JPEG 320 x 240 @ 15 fps QuickTime motion JPEG 160 x 120 @ 15 fps QuickTime motion JPEG
DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) :	Print reserve, All print reserve, Date/time, Number of copies
Optical Image Enlargement :	N/A
Image Adjustment Modes :	N/A
Image Effects :	Resize, Sepia, Black and White
Panorama :	Up to 10 frames stitchable with CAMEDIA Master software when using Olympus brand SmartMedia
Sequence :	1.5 frames per second burst up to 5 frames in HQ mode
Viewfinder :	Optical real-image viewfinder
LCD :	1.6" (4.1 cm) color TFT LCD monitor with 60,000 pixels, Brightness adjustment
Focusing System :	Focus free
Focusing Ranges :	Standard mode: 23.6" (0.6 m) - infinity, Macro mode: 9.8" (.25 m) - infinity
Exposure Control :	Program auto: f4, f8 1/2 sec. - 1/2000 sec. (1 sec. in Night Scene mode) Exposure compensation: +/- 2 steps EV by 1/2 steps
Metering System :
White Balance System :	System iESP multi-pattern auto TTL Pre-set manual (Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, Fluorescent)
Flash :	Built-in flash
Flash Modes :	Auto for low light and backlight Red-Eye Reduction Fill-In (forced on) Night Scene Red-Eye Reduction Night Scene Forced Off
Flash Working Range :	10" - 8.2' (0.25 m - 2.5 m) @ ISO 100
Flash Charging Time :	Approx. 6 seconds at normal temperature with new batteries
Removable Media Card :	3V (3.3V) SmartMedia card (4, 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128MB) Card 8MB SmartMedia card included
Selftimer/Remote :	12 second delay
Setting Memorization :	Reset, Hold
Outer Connectors :	DC Input, Auto-Connect USB
Auto-connect USB :	Compatible with Windows 98 rev2/ME/2000 Pro/XP and Mac OS 8.6 - OS X Windows 98 rev 2 driver provided on CD Mac OS 8.6 require USB mass storage driver 1.3.5 available on Apple's website Downloading to computer without USB port possible with optional PCMCIA SmartMedia™ card reader
Image Playback :	Index display, Up to 3x enlargement, Slide show, Scene rotation
Operating Environment :	32° - 104°F (0° - 40°C), 30 - 90% humidity -4° - 140°F (-20° - 60°C), 10 - 90% humidity
Power Supply :	Main power source: 4 x AA alkaline batteries (included) 2 x LB-01 (CR-V3) lithium battery pack 4 x AA NiMH batteries 4 x AA lithium batteries 4 x AA NiCd batteries (Manganese batteries cannot be used) AC power: C-7AU AC adapter (optional)
Date/Time Calendar :	Calendar Simultaneous recording into image data, automatic up to year 2031
Calendar :
Size :	4.8" W x 2.6" H x 1.8" D (123 x 65 x 44.5 mm)
Weight :	6.7 oz. (190 g) without batteries and SmartMedia card
Number of Storable Photos :	5 or more : SHQ 1,600 x 1,208 pixels 16 or more : HQ 1,600 x 1,200 pixels 29 or more : SQ1: 1,024 x 768 pixels 47 or more : SQ2 640x480 pixels

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